Better Late Than Forgotten: Looking Back on a Massive Month
I know, I know — I am quite ridiculously behind on my monthly recaps! But when a month holds as much magic, transformation, and pure stitchy joy as this one did, there was simply no way I could let it slip away into the creative archives uncelebrated. June was one of those rare, whirlwind periods that completely shook up my routine in the best possible way, pulling me out of my usual cosy bubble and throwing me right into community adventures and big personal leaps.
Between packing my bags for my first-ever cross-stitch retreat on the other side of the country, navigating the bittersweet milestones of my girls growing up, and finally sitting in a tattooist's chair to permanently mark my journey, it felt like an entire season packed into thirty short days. Yet amidst all the hubbub, the steady, rhythmic pull of needle and thread kept me grounded through every single shift.
Grab a drink, settle into your favourite spot, and let's take a wander back through a month filled with convention halls, long-awaited finishes, cheeky new starts, and plenty of heart.
Leading image: The first morning of Stitch-Con and what I walked in on in the conference hall.
Jump to:
Stitch-Con
Five Days of Pure Stitchy Magic
If you had told me this time last year that I'd be hopping on a plane to Ohio for an entire retreat dedicated to cross-stitch, I might have laughed — and then immediately started packing 😅 June brought my very first trip over to the eastern side of the US for Stitch-Con in Cincinnati, OH, and it was everything my stitchy soul needed.
Five days, four nights, and an unbelievable amount of crosses. Here is how it all went down:
The Journey & The "Character-Building" Hotel
Let's just say the accommodation was… an experience. It was dingy and truly god-awful, but at the end of the day, it was really just a landing pad to stash my luggage and collapse into bed after marathon stitching sessions. The massive silver lining? I met an absolute gem of a fellow attendee staying at the same hotel who had a car, and she kindly let me hitch a ride to and from the convention centre (Shout-out to Shannon! 👋).
More than anything, having five solid days away from the everyday parenting grind gave my mental battery a much-needed recharge, made me some lovely new friends, and let me get an astonishing amount of stitching done.
Soaking In the Event
Walking into the convention space was almost overwhelming in the best way. One of my absolute favourite parts was wandering past the "brag tables" — endless rows of tables where attendees could lay out their finished pieces for everyone to admire. Seeing the sheer variety of styles, fabrics, and finishes in person was so inspiring.
I was also stopped and recognised by six total strangers over the course of the retreat because of my FlossTube channel! That was such a surreal, slightly weird, but truly lovely feeling. There's something very special about connecting faces in real life to people who watch your rambling stitchy chats on the screen. Another spontaneous highlight happened when a few of us realised we were all working on the Museum After Midnight stitch-along; we ended up going on a little mission around the hall hunting down other stitchers working on the same piece so we could gather for a big group photo together.
I took a chance on the raffle for a basket overflowing with gorgeous fabrics (alas, the stitchy gods did not smile upon my tickets), and sat in on the FlossTubers Panel. It was a relaxed panel of about ten creators sharing their origin stories and taking questions from the floor. While I didn't necessarily learn anything groundbreaking, it was fun to listen in and see what the community was curious about. To top off the event's final evening, two of my wonderful tablemates actually bid on and won the grand prize auction! The whole room was buzzing.
An Excursion to Keepsakes
Naturally, a trip to Stitch-Con wouldn't be complete without visiting Keepsakes; the local needlework shop that organises the whole retreat. If you've ever wanted to see a physical manifestation of "organised chaos," this shop is it! There were walls of patterns, skeins upon skeins of floss, endless cuts of fabric, quirky notions, and finished models pinned, hung, and tucked onto practically every available inch of wall space.
To make things even better, they had hidden little "discount black cats" around the shop for attendees to hunt down — I managed to spot one and scored $5 off my haul of floss skeins.
Ringing the Finish Gong!
One of the sweetest retreat traditions is the finish gong (that used to be a bell years prior). If you complete a project during Stitch-Con, you get to walk up to the front, give the gong a solid smash and hold up your project to celebratory cheers from the room, and collect an official "I finished my project at Stitch-Con" sticker.
The piece I finished was my "Femurs and Fungi" project by Fine Frog Stitching whilst there, so you better believe I rang that gong! (And honestly, I came shockingly close to finishing a second piece before the weekend wrapped up, too.) I may or may not have deliberately stitched a project that was near-completion, just so I could experience it all. 🫣
The Goodie Haul & Community Kindness
I knew I would come home with extra weight in my carry-on, but nothing prepared me for the sheer generosity in that room. The annex market was a danger zone for my budget — hand-dyed Aida, tempting charts from favourite designers, project bags, and sparkly notions everywhere you looked. I had to exercise serious restraint, but I walked away with two cuts of fabric, six charts, two needleminders, a project bag, and an adorable Stitch-Con catch-all tray.
Just for attending, we received a hefty Stitch-Con tote bag and an engraved wooden tablet stand (which is currently sitting in pieces while I try to solve it like a Rubik's cube). I also used the community freebie bins to rehome a duplicate pattern I'd accidentally bought twice — which serendipitously got snapped up right away by the lovely friend who had been driving me around!
What touched me most, though, were the little gifts from fellow stitchers. I was constantly being handed little treats: handmade project bags, 3D-printed floss drops, needle threaders, cute stickers, and business/FlossTuber cards. I had no idea that kind of gift-swapping was so widespread, and I left with a full heart — and a mental note to prep my own little Two Little Kits goodies to hand out next time!
Until Next Time, Cincinnati
Looking back on the whole whirlwind, I honestly had the most fantastic time.
It can be a little intimidating to throw yourself into a massive room of people you don't know (well, it certainly is for me at least), but the cross-stitch community is just so endlessly warm, welcoming, and easy to talk to.
Between the uninterrupted stitching time, the laughs with tablemates, and the creative buzz that lingered for weeks afterwards, it was worth every single mile traveled & every dollar spent. I have my fingers firmly crossed that I'll be able to make the trek out to attend again in the future!
New Pattern
Between packing for Stitch-Con, wrapping up the school year, and keeping up with everyday family life, June felt like a complete whirlwind. But even in the busiest seasons, sneaking in some quiet design time is one of the ways I keep myself grounded. Designing is where I get to play, and getting to send a fresh chart out into the world at the end of it all is always such a lovely, rewarding feeling. This month, I released a brand-new pattern that leans right into my love of storytelling, humour, and a good tabletop adventure.
"Free Action"
Whether you're a seasoned Dungeon Master running sprawling campaigns or someone who just recently rolled their very first D20, anyone who has ever sat at a gaming table knows the singular heartbreak of a nat 1. You needed a miracle, the stakes were high, and the dice gods simply said, "Nope".
This pattern is a playful nod to those exact moments when your best-laid plans crumble into chaos. The vibe is cosy, humorous, and relatable, making it a perfect stitch for gamers, fantasy lovers, or anyone who needs a gentle reminder that things going totally wrong can still be fun. Best of all, it's an easy, relaxing stitch for stitchers at any stage — and remember, no matter what number you roll, crying is always a free action!
Finished Pieces
Having dedicated stitching time at a retreat like Stitch-Con is truly a gift, especially when it comes to getting substantial needle time on projects that have lingered in your project bags. Between the electric energy in the retreat hall and the lingering momentum once I returned home, June turned out to be an incredible month for crossing finishes off my list.
Here are the two pieces that finally crossed the finish line:
Femurs and Fungi by Fine Frog Stitching
This was the very project that earned me my triumphant trip to the Stitch-Con finish gong! The design was originally run as a stitch-along, but I picked it up as a standalone chart because I just could not resist the concept.
I've really liked the way Fine Frog Stitching designs framed curiosity-cabinet vignettes, and this one was awesome to stitch. The contrast is what truly makes it sing — having those brilliant, electric pops of pink, blue, green, and yellow sprouting right alongside the muted, cool greys and whites of the bones. It gave every little frame and shelf its own distinct personality, making it impossible to put down until that very last stitch was in place.
Pretty Little Seattle by Satsuma Street
This finish feels particularly special because it marks the completion of a deeply personal trilogy! Satsuma Street's vibrant cityscapes have always had a special place in my heart, and this is the third "Pretty Little City" design I've stitched. With this one completed, I officially have a finished piece for every place my husband and I have lived together: Sydney, Los Angeles, and now Seattle.
This project had been living in my WIP rotation for well over 12 months, so getting those final backstitches in place was immensely satisfying. I had ambitious hopes of ringing the Stitch-Con gong for this one too, but the retreat wrapped up before I could quite get there. Thankfully, the stitching momentum carried straight through, and I tucked in the final threads just a day or two after unpacking back at home.
My favourite detail to stitch was Mount Rainier towering behind the skyline. The original chart called for blue-and-white shading on the snow cap, but I felt it read a bit too cool and blue in person. I decided to make a subtle colour swap to soft grey and white instead, which gives the snow that crisp, natural mountain look that I love so much.
Now comes the fun (and slightly intimidating) next puzzle: deciding exactly how to mount and frame all three sister pieces together so they can finally hang side by side on our walls!
Works-in-progress
If there is one thing that Stitch-Con and a burst of early summer energy encouraged, it was leaning into the joy of rotating through projects without an ounce of guilt. Some weeks call for the calm, predictable rhythm of keeping up with an ongoing stitch-along, while others bring an itch for something fresh that simply cannot be ignored. My project basket was wonderfully lively throughout June, balancing familiar favorites alongside a couple of brand-new starts that insisted on jumping straight onto the linen.
Stitched
A huge highlight was seeing the "Museum After Midnight" stitch-along in person during Stitch-Con. It was fascinating to see how much fabric choice changes the personality of a piece — while so many attendees chose moody slates and dramatic greys, mine really held its own on warm oatmeal, giving the little museum a softer, archival feel. Meanwhile, I managed to stay beautifully up to date with "Flower Prairie", though not without a classic stitcher mishap: right as I dove headfirst into the July flowers, I looked back and realised I had somehow skipped the little June/July signpost divider entirely! 😠I've also been thoroughly charmed by the "Life at the Cottage" stitch-along; the three-week pacing between pattern drops has felt like an absolute sweet spot, leaving plenty of breathing room to enjoy the process without the pressure of falling behind.
Of course, a month isn't quite complete without a cheeky start or two. I gave in to "Cat Dragon House", a design I had picked up the month prior that was simply too darling to leave sitting in a folder. Alongside that, "Quilting Fox" made its debut on the hoop — it was an instant, irresistible kit-up, and I already have a sneaking suspision I won't be able to stop until every single design in that series is finished.
Designed
Alongside my stitching time, I spent quite a few hours working away on a, upcoming pattern design: "Carl's Creed".
One of my favourite parts of pattern making —and something I always love pulling the curtain back on— is just how much a design shifts between the initial doodle and the chart software. Looking at my raw Procreate design compared to the WinStitch progress shot at the end of June is such a fun study in evolution. The core heart and spirit of the idea was there from the start, but translating rough marks onto a strict grid requires so much tweaking, nudging, and reimagining of proportions and details. It's always a satisfying dance watching an idea transform into something tangible, stitchable, and balanced.
New Blog Posts
Even with so much of my creative energy poured into retreats and stitching time, I managed to get two thoughtful pieces written and published on the blog this month.
The first was an honest look at the world of stitch-alongs, breaking down the real pros and cons of SALs —from the joy of community accountability to the dread of falling behind— to help stitchers decide if the format genuinely suits their personal rhythm. The second was a personal story, where I shared the vulnerable story behind finally taking the plunge and getting my very first tattoo: two bold, illustrated little fox kits on my forearm serving as a permanent badge of resilience, motherhood, and healing.
Alongside my regular FlossTube chats, having these two spaces to reflect —one purely practical and community-minded, the other quiet and from the heart— felt like the perfect balance.
Stitchy Talk Show - Update
Check out the episodes I released during June for my Stitchy Talk Show.
IRL
Looking back over all of it, June really felt like a gentle turning point — a blend of closing out one chapter and stepping into a softer, sunnier one. Juggling milestone birthdays, the summer holiday transition, personal bravery with tattoo needles, and the everyday chaos of parenting is never completely neat or tidy. But letting things be low-key, celebrating the small wins, and leaning into simple pleasures gave the month such a grounded, joyful rhythm that I'm carrying straight into the rest of summer.
My First Tattoo!
Easily the biggest personal milestone of the month was finally taking the plunge and getting my very first tattoo! If you had told me years ago —back when needles terrified me— that I'd sit voluntarily in a chair to get inked, I would have laughed you out of the room. But at Caledonia Tattoo, Glenn worked his magic and gave me the most stunning, bold piece featuring two cartoonish little fox kits curled on my inner forearm.
They represent my two daughters, the creative journey of Two Little Kits, and how picking up a needle and thread literally helped pull me out of a dark place years ago. It hurt like absolute hell while it was happening, but seeing it there every single day fills my heart right up. (If you want the whole vulnerable breakdown, you can read the full blog post about it here!) The funniest part? Everyone warned me that once you get one, you catch "the itch" — and they weren't lying. Despite the pain, I'm already dreaming up what might go on my skin next! I think I want to get more on my left arm… 🤔
Progress pictures:
Kids' Birthdays
June is always an emotional whirlwind on the parenting front because both of my daughters celebrate their birthdays back-to-back. This year, my oldest celebrated turning 12, and my youngest crossed the monumental threshold into 10 — double digits! The fact that both of my children are now officially in double-digit ages is utterly mind-boggling to me. How did the toddler years slip away so fast?
Keeping our energy levels in check, we kept the festivities delightfully low-key. My youngest had a sweet, simple hangout with her mates to celebrate, while my oldest opted out of anything fancy in favour of a quiet, chilled-out day. Honestly, slow and gentle celebrations are my absolute favourite kind.
Haul
Between travels and a bit of retail therapy, June brought in quite the delightful mountain of new treats. Of course, the vast majority of my haul came directly from the treasure trove at Stitch-Con! Outside of needlework goodies, I refreshed my look with some fun new glasses toppers from Pair Eyewear, scooped up a mini haul of adorable stickers from kaybowzie on Etsy, and tucked away two cool complimentary stickers from the tattoo shop as little badges of courage.
Miscellaneous
Beyond birthdays and ink, the rest of the month was filled with those sweet, shifting moments that signal the start of summer. We officially closed the chapter on the 2025-26 school year. We treated ourselves to a fun family cinema outing to catch the big-screen showing of Episode 9 of 'The Amazing Digital Circus', which my youngest had been anticipating for ages. My youngest also trialled a combined piano and singing lesson; while we decided to put a pause on regular classes for now, it was lovely to see her explore it, and we might revisit it down the road.
To round out the quiet moments at home, I finally sat down and built the LEGO set my family spoiled me with for Mother's Day — dang I love me some LEGO building..!
Carrying the Spark Forward: Closing Out June
Looking back across everything June gave me, I am mostly left with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. As creative makers and parents juggling endless mental tabs, it's so easy to get caught up in what we didn't finish, or to look at a growing pile of WIPs and feel a nudge of pressure rather than pure delight. But this month was a gentle, vibrant reminder that this craft is meant to be joyful, social, messy, and deeply personal.
From ringing finish-gongs with kindred spirits in Cincinnati to slow weekend mornings stitching alongside my newly-minted double-digit daughters, June gave my creative well a serious refill. The fresh ink on my arm is an everyday reminder of how grounding this work has been over the years, and seeing so many of your familiar faces in real life made the hours spent recording FlossTube or charting symbols feel so much more connected.
As we ease out of the school year and tumble headfirst into the warmer, slower days of summer, I'm taking that retreat buzz with me straight to the hoop. Whatever you're working on right now —whether you're charging toward a finish or letting a piece rest quietly in a basket— I hope you're making gentle, kind space for your creative heart, too.
👋 Kate
